Driver distraction resulting from the use of in-vehicle systems and distraction as a result of performing secondary tasks in addition to operating the vehicle has increased with the ever-increasing amount of information that is made available to the driver and the passengers. For example, a driver may be distracted by a telephone that is ringing and by a voice-operated navigation system that prompts the driver to input address information. These distractions interfere with the driver's ability to focus on the task of driving.
Especially, any visual distraction or any task that requires the driver to take his or her eyes off the road reduces the driving performance and may increase the risk of accidents. Furthermore, tasks that are performed concurrently, such as looking at a monitor on the dashboard of the vehicle while performing the primary task of driving, can have a negative effect on the ability to perform the two tasks in a satisfactory manner.
Any acoustic or optical signal distracts the driver to a certain extent, in particular when the acoustic or optical signal is provided at a time when the driver's workload is increased due to a driving situation that requires the driver's full attention. If information is provided during a critical or dangerous driving situation, the additional demands on the driver can increase the driver's workload and, as a result, the risk of an accident may also increase.
Conventional methods and systems for providing information to the driver thus increase the driver's workload such that the driver may become distracted. The distraction resulting from performing tasks while driving may disadvantageously interfere with the driver's ability to perform the primary task of driving the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,860 B1 for example describes a system for providing information to an onboard information device in a vehicle. A user interest profile is maintained in a memory of the onboard information device. An onboard communications system determines a location of the user from a positioning signal transmitted by a global positioning system. The system also includes a travel information system such that the travel information system maintains a hierarchically indexed information database and the travel information system provides the onboard communication device with information of interest to the user based on a user profile and the user location. The information is presented on a display screen. A disadvantage of this system is that the user may be distracted by the information displayed on the screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,421 B1 describes another system for providing information including traffic and navigation information, as well as other information services to a driver. One embodiment of the system makes use of existing components of a wireless telephone system, for example, by using the input and output capabilities of a telephone handset. Another embodiment is a portable system that includes switches for initiating access to a remote server. For instance, the system has switches for initiating traffic information, roadside assistance, personal information, or emergency modes. The system includes a positioning system for generating position data related to a geographic location of the system, and a wireless communication device. The system also includes an audio output device, such as a speaker for presenting the received information. A disadvantage of this system is that the audio output may be presented at an inconvenient time and may distract or interrupt the driver who may be focusing on another task at that moment.